WIR 2023 SLAM Finale

Johnny MacRae’s residency at PRPL culminates in a SLAM Finale. Come listen and/or share at this friendly all-ages event. Do it for enjoyment, snaps, the chance to parade with PRPL’s SLAM medallion and CASH PRIZES collected by optional donation at the door by the qathet Friends of the Library.

Drop-in to take in the action or register at the door and bring two poems to compete. Don’t want to compete? Join the before-SLAM open mic. Come early to secure your spot, doors open at 5:45 pm! 

Details for open-mic performers: Subject to availability, a maximum of 5 participants can share one poem, lasting for a maximum duration of 5 minutes each.

Details for competitors: Bring 2 poems on any theme. All regular SLAM rules apply. 3-minute limit per poem.

SLAM is a spoken word competition.

Details for competing performers: A SLAM is carried out in a series of two rounds. A maximum of 12 poets in round one, and five in the final round.

If you’d like to compete, have at least two poems ready that are under three minutes each. You are docked points over three minutes. Poems do NOT have to be memorized, but it is encouraged.

So get writing, or come to PRPL’s ongoing SLAM Lab happening every Friday from 4:00 to 5:00 pm, with Writer in Resident (and mouthy poet) Johnny MacRae to hone those SLAM skills ahead of the big night!

PRPL’s 2023 Writer in Residence – Johnny MacRae

Residency Dates:  September 15th, 2023 – October 27th, 2023

Johnny MacRae is a spoken word (or mouthy) poet of Gaelic ancestry who lives on the unceded ancestral territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-waututh), and sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) nations.

Since arriving on the Van Slam stage in 2009, Johnny has won regional and national poetry slam titles. Although best known for his high energy and humorous poems, Johnny is a versatile artist whose work ranges from poetry slam, to site-specific storytelling, to spoken word theatre.

2023 is the second  year of PRPL’s Writer in Residence program, for more information go to https://prpl.ca/writer-in-residence-2023/